Fishing Report

Good morning from the Quiet Lakes, it was nice to have the air conditioners off for a few days, however the roller coaster we call Northwoods weather looks to change that starting today.  All week I am seeing mid to upper 80s, low temps creeping back into the 60s, and very little rain forecasted until late week.  Water temps have cooled considerably since last week and fishing has picked up quite a bit.  I kind of have a bad feeling it may get worse as this week warms up and water temps climb again.  Water temps are low to mid 70s now, but we will see them get closer to 80 by the end of the weekend if we get the heat they are calling for.

Musky–The musky bite has picked up this past week and the cooler water temperatures are certainly the reason for that.  ‘Skies have pushed up a bit shallower and anglers are seeing follows and converting on smaller bucktails and smaller baits in general.  It does seem like smaller fish are more active than the big fish.  Water temps are still warm enough to say it again……please be mindful when chasing musky in warm weather/water…..have the right tools, a good sized net, don’t measure fish unless absolutely necessary, and keep the fish in the water as long as possible!  I did hear a report from Lake Namakagon that they have had like 5 or 6 good sized muskies floating over the past couple of weeks.  Some of those may be natural and just old fish, but certainly a few are also delayed mortality after a catch and release.  

Northern pike– Pike have been active again, and anglers are finding them anywhere there is weeds.  Spinner baits, crank baits, live bait such as crawlers and leeches are all getting pike to commit to eating.  Not a lot on big pike, but they are around these same areas and can be caught.   Look for pike anywhere from 4-12 FOW in weedy bays or big weed flats or even small mid lake reefs that top out with weeds.

Walleye–The walleye bite has been pretty tough lately, they have pushed to deeper water on most lakes and kind of scattered in basins.  Trolling crank baits or crawler/leech/minnow harness rigs on bottom bouncers or lindy rigs will help you cover water and find fish.  Running baits anywhere from 10-20 FOW depending on the lake is a pretty good starting point.

LMB–Largemouth have been active and they are hitting a number of different presentations.  Top water baits such as frogs or poppers, plastic worms such as senkos or ned rigs, spinner baits, and even small bucktails anglers are using to musky fish.  Work through weed beds, shoreline weeds such as lily pads or bulrushes.

SMB–Smallies got really fired up since water temps dipped a little bit and anglers have been doing very well on live bait.  Some anglers had luck with the biggest walleye suckers they could get, while others said the biggest leeches were accounting for all of their fish.  They kept the locations close to the vest, but my guess is they were finding them on deep weed edges or rock edges that pushed out into the basins of main lakes, anywhere in that 10-16 FOW range on most lakes.

Crappie/Bluegill/Perch–All of the panfish have been active lately and anglers are finding them all over in and around weeds.  Piles of gills, crappie, and perch have been anywhere from 4-12 FOW and anglers have been doing well on crappie minnows, leaf worms and chunks of crawlers.  

That is all I have for this week’s report.  We are fully into the summer doldrums and this weather is keeping fish scattered and anglers guessing.  Towards the end of the 15 day forecast, the weather looks to cool down a little bit and stabilize which should help the fishing, but that is a long ways out!  Have a great weekend, take care and we will talk soon. 

Greg

Good morning from the Quiet Lakes, last week was a rough one! Between mid 90 degree heat, and smoke so thick you could cut it with a knife, not a whole lot was going on around the bait shop.  Considerably cooler temps this week and some rain possible on Monday should hopefully bring water temps down to a reasonable number.  I am hearing anywhere between 83-85 degree water on most lakes and the fishing has pretty much shut down aside from bass and panfish.  

Musky–Most anglers stopped targeting musky over this past week as the water is just too warm right now, and for the few anglers that were selective when they targeted them, they didn’t see much.  My guess is the ‘skies have either rooted down into the depths of the cabbage where the water is darker and cooler, or they are pushed out into the basins looking for a thermocline and cooler water.  Bucktails or spinnerbaits around weed beds, or crank baits or rubber baits thrown out in the basins are good choices right now. Like I said in last week’s report, anglers should be mindful of chasing musky right now……be prepared and keep the fish in the water as much as possible!!!!

Pike–The pike bite has been okay and anglers are finding some pike around weeds.  Smaller spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and live bait have had action for pike.  Look for pike anywhere from 3-12 FOW right now and work baits through weed beds.

Walleye–Walleye have become tight lipped in this heat as well as most of the other species.  Deep transitions may be holding some fish, and some fish may be pushed out fully into the basins and chasing balls of baitfish.  Jigs and leeches or crawlers presented vertically on those deep transitions can catch walleye right now, as can trolling crank baits or bottom bouncers rigged with crawlers or leeches in the basins for suspended fish.  Anglers should look for fish anywhere from 10-25 FOW depending on the lake they are on.

LMB–Largemouth have not been as active as I would have guessed with the warmer water, but anglers are finding bass in and around weeds.  Lily pads, cabbage, and bulrushes all seem to be holding fish.  Spinnerbaits, top water baits, and plastics and live bait are all good choices for largemouth right now.  

SMB–Smallies have been active on deep transitions, and anglers are catching them on jig and leech combos worked over these transitions.  Look for smallies in anywhere from 8-15 FOW and on the deep weed edges or where mid lake reefs head into the abyss.

Crappie–The crappie bite has probably been the most consistent in this heat, and anglers are doing well finding crappie in 6-10 FOW in weeds.  Crappie minnows really seem to be working as do baits such as beetle spins, mimic minnows, or other smaller jig/plastic combos.

Bluegill/Perch–Gills and perch can be found in and around weed beds and shorelines as well, and anglers are having luck mostly on leaf worms and crawlers for panfish.  

That is all I have for this week’s report.  I just got an alert on my phone that we may have more air quality issues this weekend, but I don’t think it is supposed to be as bad as it was.  Have a great weekend and we will talk soon.

Greg